Welcome to Jam Pony
by Yarrharr
Summary: When Max walked into Jam Pony looking for a job, her life changed forever. Also featuring Original Cindy....
1. Who's That Girl?

**Welcome to Jam Pony**  
RATING: PG  
SUMMARY: The day Max walked into Jam Pony looking for a job, her life changed forever. Also featuring Original Cindy.  
DISCLAIMERS: Dark Angel, Jam Pony, etc. belong to James Cameron and the people at FOX. Don't sue, I'm just a poor fan fic writer entertaining my audience.  


***  


  
As Original Cindy drove to work one grey autumn morning, she didn't notice anything different from usual. There were the same burnt-out cars on the side of the street, the same homeless and jobless people milling about, the same bulky Sector Police at the periphery. She turned left and rolled into the chaotic Jam Pony Express headquarters. Listening to Normal chatter 'bip bip bip' at his workers, the brown-skinned woman sighed._ Another day, another dolla,_ she thought, slamming her locker shut.   
  
Across the room, a flat screen TV was blaring. Original Cindy heard the newswoman say, '...in Portland, police arrested four people after a policeman was killed while searching an apartment building. The policeman was looking for a wanted fugitive when the four suspects attacked him. Police say the fugitive has not been seen since the murder two days ago...' Tuning the rest of the report out, Original Cindy walked toward a gangly-looking young man with unruly brown hair. Suddenly, someone brushed her shoulder. She turned to see a woman--a girl, really--who had dark, curly hair and a black leather jacket.  
  
'Sorry,' the girl said quickly. 'Um, where can I find the manager?'  
  
'Over there,'Cindy said, pointing to Normal's fenced-in counter. The girl murmured her thanks and walked toward the counter.  
  
'Hey,' called the gangly man. Original Cindy leaned against a locker beside him. 'Hey yo'self, Sketchy.'  
  
'Who's that girl?' he asked, craning his neck in the direction of the counter.  
  
'Probably some poor soul lookin' for work.'  
  
Sketchy smiled lopsidedly. 'She's pretty cute.'   
  
Cindy sighed. 'Is that all you evah think about? Women?'   
  
A soft sing-song voice behind her said, ' Nah, mah mon Sketchy think 'bout othah things, too. He think 'bout how t' impress women an' how t' get himself more cheddah.'   
  
Original Cindy smiled. 'True dat, Herbal.'   
  
Max watched the man behind the counter. He had sandy hair held stiff with gel, and he wore a headset and glasses. From listening to his remarks to his employees, he seemed a hard-ass of a manager. But he wasn't as bad as some, and she needed a job.....   
  
'Excuse me, sir,' she said.   
  
The man looked up. 'Can I help you?'   
  
'I'm looking for a job.'   
  
He shifted his eyes back to a package. 'Well, look somewhere else, missy, because you won't find one here.'   
  
'I saw this ad in the paper,' Max said, handing him a crinkled scrap of newspaper she'd found.   
  
Normal scanned the 'Help Wanted' ad quickly. 'This must be an old one. All our places are filled.'   
  
'But I'm a hard worker,' Max persisted. 'And most the people here are probably lazy, ignorant kids who're just waiting for another job to open up,' she said, using the phrase he'd said five minutes ago. She looked at him, her brown eyes pleading.   
  
'All right,' the man said gruffly. 'What's your name?'   
  
'Max.'   
  
He pushed a sheet of paper toward her. 'Fill out this form. You can ride a bike, right?'   
  
She nodded.   
  
'You come in at eight in the morning, leave at seven. Keep your bike here at night--I don't want to hear about you stealing or selling company property,' he said, looking sternly through his glasses. 'Run packages to their addresses quickly and be polite to all customers. You'll get a Sector Pass tomorrow.'   
  
Max looked up sharply. She hadn't listened to the rest of his lecture until the words 'Sector Pass'. That would get her almost anywhere in Seattle--even the rich parts of town where the pickings were best. This job would also allow her to 'case' houses, check out what kinds of goods their owners kept and how to access them. For a professional thief like Max, it couldn't have been better.   
  
Normal continued lecturing her until there was a loud boom, followed by a small cloud of smoke, in one corner of the room. He shouted, 'Haven't I told you not to shake those packages?!' Hurtling from his counter, Normal tossed a package to a woman with skin the color of caf au lait. 'Original Cindy, take Max along. Bip bip!' He ran toward the still-smoky corner.   
  
Original Cindy saw the frightened, startled look on the girl's face. 'You aiight?'   
  
'Yeah,' the girl replied. 'What was that explosion?'   
  
'We get lettah-bombs sometimes when the gangs fight. They don' hurt nobody usually, just scare the shit outta everyone.' Cindy saw the girl smile a little. Sketchy was right--she was pretty.   
  
'I'm Original Cindy.'   
  
'I'm Max.' She gestured at Normal, who was haranguing a couple of employees. 'Is he always--'   
  
'A hard-ass? Yeah,' Cindy answered. 'Welcome to Jam Pony.'   


***  


  
A/N: Please review! I crave feedback!  
  



	2. Ain't My Problem

**Welcome to Jam Pony**  
RATING: PG  
SUMMARY: The day Max walked into Jam Pony looking for a job, her life changed forever. Also featuring Original Cindy.  
DISCLAIMERS: Dark Angel, Jam Pony, etc. belong to James Cameron and the people at FOX. Don't sue, I'm just a poor fan fic writer entertaining my audience.  
  


***  


Fifteen minutes later, Max followed Original Cindy through a crowd of people on North Market Street. She was just getting used to the wobbly spare bike they'd found in a storeroom, and she was trying to memorize the streets and alleys they'd passed. She'd learned her way around dozens of cities, finding escape routes and hiding places in case she needed them. It was this skill that had helped her get out of Portland before Lydecker caught her.  
  
Max thought of the explosion in the Jam Pony headquarters not long ago. She got scared when she heard the boom, remembering the artillery that peppered training missions back at Manticore. Now she laughed at her reaction, but fifteen minutes ago her heart had pounded with fear.....  
  
She braked suddenly and turned right, her thoughts lost as she kept up with Original Cindy. They were in a nicer neighborhood now, one with small but trim houses and green lawns. A neighborhood that might have stuff to steal.  
  
Spotting the address they were looking for, Original Cindy turned into the driveway of a white two-story house with dark blue shutters. They got off their bikes and wheeled them to the door. Cindy rang the doorbell as she instructed Max.  
  
Now you gotta get the customer to sign your clipboard, or else Normal gonna have a fit. Aiight?'  
  
Max nodded. She was starting to like this Original Cindy and her rhythmical way of speaking.  
  
A boy about seven or eight years old opened the door. I got a package here for your parents,' Cindy said to him. The kid vanished down the hallway, yelling, Mommm!!'  
  
Max peered inside the house. A few plastic toys lined the hall, a painting hanged in the staircase on her right. Not much worth stealing, but that wasn't a surprise. The Pulse had forced many families to sell what valuables they had for food.  
  
Then her eye fell on a small table along the left wall of the hall. On it stood an antique clock with a wide face, set inside a rectangular glass case. She could fence it for maybe a hundred dollars--not much, but it was cash that she desperately needed. As the girl regarded the clock, trying to decide if the metal trimming was brass or a cheap alloy, a woman walked down the hall to them. Original Cindy handed her the clipboard.  
  
Just as she finished signing, the boy came running down the hall, with a girl that could only be his sister following him and yelling at the top of her lungs. Their mother tried to separate the children in vain. During the ensuing chaos, Max dodged speedily inside the house and grabbed the clock unnoticed.  
  
Paul! Dana! Stop fighting this instant!' The mother pried her children apart and sent them inside with a frown. Sorry about that,' she said as she took the package from Cindy.  
  
The two messengers got on their bikes and rode away. Now back to Jam Pony,' Original Cindy said. She didn't see Max tuck the clock into a pocket of her leather jacket, nor did she see the flicker of a smile on the girl's face. _This job's gonna be easy,_ she thought.  
  
Several hours later, Original Cindy rolled to a stop outside a busy diner. Wanna stop for lunch?' she called to Max, who nodded and dismounted. _Damn, that girl hardly talk at all,_ the woman thought. They locked up their bikes and went into the diner, which boasted The Strongest Cup of Coffee in Seattle'. Cindy found a table and sat down, not without relief: her legs ached from a morning of pedalling.  
  
Max perused the menu, looking for the biggest meal for the least money. She ended up ordering a hamburger and a glass of milk. Original Cindy seemed amused at her beverage order, but Max shrugged. It's good for you.' _And it'll keep my seizures from coming bad._  
  
While they ate, Original Cindy watched her co-worker and let the buzz of noise in the diner wash around her. Max wasn't petite, but she wasn't tall either. She looked several years younger than Cindy's twenty-four. And yet her eyes seemed much older. Like she'd seen a lot.  
  
The curly-haired girl had been wolfing down her food as if someone was going to snatch it from her, but now she slowed and looked up from her plate.  
  
You some kind'a hungry,' Original Cindy said with amazement.  
  
I hadn't eaten in a while,' Max explained, tracing a fry in ketchup. _More like two days_. So how long you been at Jam Pony?' she asked.  
  
Seven months, at least. Original Cindy ain't xactly counting.'  
  
Well, I'm just lucky to get a job.'  
  
Original Cindy drank the last of her iced tea. It ain't so bad, I guess. I mean, Normal get on your nerves, but you get used t'im after a while,' she said thoughtfully. An' the other workers are nice, like Theo an' Herbal an' Julia. Sketchy's a total airhead, no doubt, but he's okay. The bikin' ain't hard cept for the weather.'  
  
The other girl smiled. I don't mind a little rain.'  
  
Original Cindy gonna use the restroom, then we'll go. Aiight?'  
  
Aiight.'  
  
Max watched her walk away, then slipped the clock out of her pocket. It was about five inches tall and lightweight. As she'd suspected, the metal framing the glass case was real brass. She had seen a pawn shop near Jam Pony this morning that looked promising. Once she got the money, what would she use it for? Tryptophan? Her supply was running low. Or maybe she'd use it for renting an apartment.  
  
Original Cindy walked back to their table, wondering why on earth restaurant bathrooms had to be so disgusting. As she drew closer to the table, she saw Max tuck something in her jacket. Something that shone..... was it that clock from the little white house? It looked awfully similar. Cindy felt cold, realizing why Max probably wanted to be a messenger. _She's a thief! I gotta say something. But 'frontin her might make it worse._ She swallowed her anger as best she could and walked the rest of the way to the table.  
  
Max stood up. You ready to go?' she asked. This time it was Original Cindy's turn to nod dumbly.  
  
I'm paying,' Max said while they walked to the counter.  
  
No, let Original Cindy pay.' _Cuz I don' want you usin' other people's money_, she added silently.  
  
They left the diner and unchained their bikes. Unable to stop herself, Cindy asked a question that brought Max to a halt. When you gonna give that lady her clock back?'  
  
Max looked at her sharply, then tried to disguise her recognition. I dunno what you're talkin' about.  
  
Original Cindy already saw it, so don't tell her no lies.'  
  
Max's temper began to flare. Look, it's none 'a your business!'  
  
Girl, stealin' is _wrong_. That woman prob'ly work as hard as you n me do to support her family. She don't need nobody stealin' her things!'  
  
You don't understand,' Max growled at her, brown eyes furious. She jumped on her bike and sped away.  
  
Max!' Original Cindy called after her. _That girl gonna get into a world'a trouble if she don't stop stealin'_, she thought._ But that ain't Original Cindy's problem._  
  


***  


  



	3. "Boo"

**Welcome to Jam Pony**  
RATING: PG  
SUMMARY: The day Max walked into Jam Pony looking for a job, her life changed forever. Also featuring Original Cindy.  
DISCLAIMERS: Dark Angel, Jam Pony, etc. belong to James Cameron and the people at FOX. Don't sue, I'm just a poor fan fic writer entertaining my audience.  
  


***  


Max pedaled angrily, weaving in and out of traffic. Nice as Original Cindy was, she had no right to tell her off. She didn't know what it was like to run from city to city, always looking over one shoulder and never staying long enough at a job to make any money. If Max didn't steal, she would've starved to death--or worse--long ago. And who could expect a transgenic killing machine to have good morals in this crazy-ass world?  
  
Even as she thought that, Max remembered something else. Lydecker had taught them morals, of a sort: duty and discipline, and never leaving a member of your team behind enemy lines. And she knew from experience in the Outside, as they used to call it, that no matter how bad off you thought you were, there was always someone who had it tougher than you.  
  
She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. _I need the money_, she thought. _Do you really?_ asked another part of her mind, one that sounded a lot like Original Cindy. _One li'l clock ain't worth all this trouble._  
  
Fine,' Max muttered to herself. Have it your way.' She turned a corner and began pedaling harder.  
  
Seven o'clock was a busy time at Jam Pony headquarters. The last messengers were trickling in from their runs, while others left for home. Original Cindy closed her locker to see Max standing right beside her.  
  
Original Cindy don' even wanna talk to you,' she said, walking away.  
  
Wait!' Max dodged in front of her. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry.' She took a deep breath and went on. You were right, I shouldn't've stolen the clock. I went back to the woman and apologized. That's all I wanted to say,' she finished and turned to leave.  
  
Hold on a minute. Why'd you steal it in the first place?' Cindy stood with crossed arms, determined to get an answer.  
  
The girl kept her eyes lowered. I needed the money for an apartment. I don't have anywhere to stay yet.' _That's part of the truth, at least._  
  
Then why didn't you say so?' Cindy's voice was gentler this time. She called to a tall Asian man who was talking to Herbal. Hey, Theo!'  
  
This my girl Max,' she said, introducing her to Theo. She just started at Jam Pony.'  
  
I'm impressed. Not many people survive their first day,' Theo said. His voice was warm and kind, and Max liked him right away.  
  
She need a place to stay. There still room on your floor?'  
  
He nodded. There's a woman named Kendra a few doors down who needs a roommate. You can stay with her, if you want,' he said to Max. The building...it isn't exactly legal, though.'  
  
Max knew that the residents of many tenements were squatters, whom the Sector Police could--and did--evict at will. That's fine by me. Thanks, Theo.'  
  
It's nothing. Listen, I better go. I gotta pick up Omar tonight.' Theo walked toward the door.  
  
Original Cindy looked at Max, noticing how relieved she seemed. Maybe Cindy was a little hard on you earlier. What do you say we head to Crash for a drink?'  
  
Crash?' She looked puzzled.  
  
It's a bar bout five blocks from here. The unofficial Jam Pony hangout.'  
  
Max smiled. Let's go.'  
  
Walking down the stairs into Crash Café, Original Cindy immediately recognized the song playing. It was one of her favorites, a Pre-Pulse song called Respiration'.  
  
_The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis  
Shinin', like who on top of this?  
Skyscrapers is colossus, the cost of living is preposterous,  
Stay alive, you play or die, no options  
No Batman and Robin, can't tell between the cops and the robbers,  
They both partners, they all heartless  
With no conscience, back streets stay darkened  
Where unbeliever hearts stay hardened........'  
  
_ The two quickly claimed a foosball table at the back of the bar. They talked and laughed as they played, and the score was 7-0 in Max's favor before Cindy called a halt. You too good, girl. You know what we need?'  
  
A pitcher of beer,' Max replied, smiling.  
  
Read my mind.' They sat down at a table and Original Cindy brought a pitcher of frothy beer and two mugs.  
  
So how old are you, anyway?' she asked as they drank.  
  
Nineteen.'  
  
Your parents throw you outta the house? Or you left on your own?'  
  
Max ran a finger around the rim of her mug. My parents died when I was a baby.'  
  
Sorry.' Cindy's voice grew soft. Original Cindy had a family once, but that part'a her life is long gone.'  
  
Max felt her eyes sting suddenly. Her family.... how long had it been since the escape? Nine years? Ten? She wondered where Jondy and Zack and Tinga were now.  
  
Original Cindy saw the faraway, wistful look on her friend's face. She took another sip of beer. About this afternoon.... you did the right thing, Max.'  
  
The girl shrugged. Aren't many people who care about right and wrong anymore.'  
  
True dat,' Cindy said, thinking about the thieves, gangsters, and corrupt officials that lived all over the city. Sometimes it was hard to tell who was bad' and who was good'.  
  
Max stood up. Wanna play another round?' she asked, jerking her head toward the foosball table.  
  
No, you too good for Original Cindy. Sides, I gotta stop by the Market on my way home fore it closes.'  
  
I'll walk with you for a little while,' offered Max. They walked up the stairs and out into the cool Seattle night.  
  
They were halfway down a dark, narrow alley when she heard a soft footstep behind them, but by then it was too late. One man threw a musty sack over her head, and from Cindy's muffled cries, she guessed the same had been done to her. But the man who grabbed Max around the waist underestimated her, and a backwards kick sent him flying into a pile of crates. She whipped the sack off her head. There were three men besides the one who'd grabbed her. Max almost smiled, it was so easy. The three hulking, ape-like men left Cindy and rushed her. The bald man went down first with a swift punch and a hard kick to the groin; the fat one wearing the Marlins shirt got two blows to the head before he was hurled into the third man.   
  
Less than a minute after the thugs had first grabbed them, Max was helping Original Cindy to her feet as the four men lay groaning in the street.  
What--' Cindy started to ask.  
  
Shhh. Let's get away before they recover.'  
  
They didn't stop until they were several blocks away. Max was alert the whole time, but nobody had either followed or seen them. You okay?' she asked her friend with concern.  
  
Original Cindy took some hits, but she gonna be aiight. Max, how'd you take them thugs out like that?'  
  
I... took karate as a kid. Girl power, right?'  
  
Right.' Cindy smiled. Well, I gotta blaze. See you tomorrow, boo.'  
  
Max looked bemused. Boo?'  
  
Yeah, boo. As in friend, girl, sistah.' Original Cindy started to turn away, but thought of something else. Where you goin' now? You ain't got your own place yet.'  
  
Max shrugged. Then she smiled mischievously. I've always wanted to visit the Space Needle.'  
  


***  


A/N: Well, how did you like it? Please review, people! A few notes: Respiration' is a real song, it's by Mos Def and Talib Kweli. I think. I don't have the CD, just the lyrics. Some of you might be wondering why I didn't use real quotation marks. The reason is that I hate pressing SHIFT so much, my poor little pinky gets tired. Thanks for reading!


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